TRAVEL Planning a holiday

Planning a Holiday

With the days getting longer and the evenings lighter, now is the perfect time to start thinking about booking that family holiday. Rachel Bailey takes a look at what to consider when making holiday plans.

Kids clubs Whilst holiday accommodation in this country may well offer activities for kids on site, most of these require parents to participate and be responsible for their own children. In contrast, holiday accommodation abroad can include childcare in the form of kids clubs, enabling parents to spend a little time relaxing in the sun enjoying time by themselves. It can still be a family holiday that you all enjoy together, but it also gives mum and dad the option to get a bit of time to relax too! Likewise, some places offer a babysitting service if you’re comfortable leaving your children for the evening. What to look for in accomodation Does self-catering best suit your families needs? If you're abroad is all inclusive an easier option? Are you happy to stay in a hotel and if so will a family room work? Some family rooms have a separate kids area so it's a bit more manageable. We stayed in one recently where it almost felt like the kids had their own room, which was ideal! However, we have also experienced being confined to a hotel room when our eldest was 18 months old, us sitting in silence in the dark while we waited for him to fall asleep (or hiding out in the bathroom perched on the side of the bath with a glass of Power Parenting

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• manage stress • learn communicating skills • Conflict resolution and more! Starting January 2020 | Give your family the Best For Details - Call Angela 07818 115981 www.sterlingcounsellingandcoaching.com wine!). One particularly gorgeous sunny evening was spent in a motel in the Canadian Rockies with all the curtains closed balancing takeout on our knees instead of enjoying the beautiful views and the sunshine outside the next door restaurant! Holidaying with grandparents Taking a holiday with extended family can help make the holiday feel like more of a break, especially if you have young children as there are more people on hand to help out. Don't assume they'll babysit, but if they're willing to do the odd night it's a great opportunity to enjoy an evening out. It also helps spread the cost making the holiday more affordable and it's a great opportunity for them to spend quality time with grandchildren in a relaxed setting away from all the busyness that takes over in our everyday lives. Just remember to manage expectations. It can be tricky trying to accommodate everyone's needs so you might want to have a discussion beforehand. Consider which things you all might want to do, whether you'll do everything together or factor in some time apart. Site amenities Do you want things for the kids to do on site? Would it help to have a pool? This is often a consideration if holidaying abroad, but many cottages in this country also have on site facilities such as pools, parks, soft play areas and tennis courts. Some farmstay cottages even have opportunities to feed the animals, tractor rides, nature walks etc. All these things can be great for those days when you don't feel like rushing around or when the weather's not on your side. In some cases the offering is so great you might struggle to get the kids to leave the site!

Location Having younger children myself, access to a beach, whether in this country or abroad, is pretty high on our list of priorities. We visited Cornwall back in February and they loved running from the waves, climbing on rocks, building sand castles, hunting in rock pools and writing in the sand - the list is endless. It's all free entertainment and gives them plenty of fresh air and scope to run around.

Likewise, if your kids are a bit older, a city break can be a great way to learn a bit more about different cultures or places and get them out of their comfort zone. I still remember going to Berlin with my dad when I was learning German at school. Holidays can be a great way to broaden children’s minds, it doesn’t all have to be about expensive trips to Disneyland! Staycation v vacation abroad Sometimes it's as much hassle driving across the country as it is taking a plane but driving has its own advantages - you are less restricted on luggage, you have your own transport when you reach your destination and there are some fantastic places to holiday in this country. We love all that Devon and Cornwall have to offer but there's also the Lake District, Sussex coast, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dorset, Kent countryside, Isle of Wight, to name but a few. It's not always the cheaper option however and of course you can't guarantee the weather!

Or in the true meaning of a 'staycation' consider holidaying at home and doing a few day trips to nearby places instead. We are so close to London which has endless possibilities to choose from including museums, parks, trips down the river and a zoo.

Above all, remember this is your time to enjoy together as a family, so don’t stress if things don’t go quite as planned (as is often the case with young children!).

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